The European Space Agency on Tuesday put the final touches to its first-ever "space plane" before blasting it into sub-orbit for tests aimed at eventually paving the way to the continent's first space shuttle.

Two satellites for Europe's rival to GPS, the Galileo navigation system, will be lifted into space from French Guiana on Friday a day after bad weather delayed their blast-off, launch firm Arianespace said.

Bad weather delayed the liftoff Thursday of a rocket with two new satellites for Europe's rival to GPS, launch firm Arianespace said as it announced 12 orbiters will join the constellation from next year.

Europe is set to launch two satellites Thursday for its Galileo navigation system, boosting the number in the Earth-orbiting constellation to six and bringing the network a step closer to becoming operational ...